Sundin lobbies Leafs
Captain wants team to re-sign McCabe
Toronto the `first choice' for defender
Apr. 19, 2006. 12:43 AM
KEN CAMPBELL
SPORTS REPORTER


If Mats Sundin has any input into the decision, the Maple Leafs captain and franchise cornerstone will vociferously attempt to convince GM John Ferguson to re-sign Bryan McCabe to a long-term deal this summer.
"That one is a no-brainer, I think," Sundin said last night after the Maple Leafs closed out their season with a 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"He has been better and better every year since he came here and if you're trying to be competitive in this league, you have to keep all your key players and add some more. (McCabe) has been outstanding for us this year."
What looked like a desperate attempt to get his 20th goal last night when the Penguins left their net empty in the last minute of play was actually a selfless play by McCabe.
"I was doing it for Welly (Kyle Wellwood)," McCabe said. "He had a big bonus for getting one more assist (which would have given him 35). I'm not that selfish that I would ice the puck four times."
McCabe, however, will be looking out for himself this summer when it comes to his future. He made absolutely no secret of the fact that he's looking for a long-term deal when he said that he's hoping this contract will be his last one and he wants to settle down in one place.
"I can't say yes and I can't say no," McCabe said of his future. "I know my first choice would be to stay in Toronto."
Take note that McCabe and his wife have bought a home in Long Island and have been spending more than a year doing major renovations on it, so there's a chance the defence-challenged New York Islanders will be helping him out with the mortgage next season.
McCabe said it didn't irk him, but the Leafs made a resounding statement when they gave his defence partner, Tomas Kaberle, a five-year deal worth $21.25 million (all figures U.S.) and did not re-sign McCabe.
"Tomas is a great player and one of our core guys," McCabe said. "I think it was a great move to lock him up."
With or without McCabe, there will obviously be major changes to the on-ice look of the Leafs next season.
There's a good chance that the Ed Belfour-Jason Allison-Eric Lindros-Alexander Khavanov sightings in the Maple Leafs dressing room last night will be the last. Forced into having to play their prospects down the stretch, the Leafs learned that they have some rather serviceable players in the minors and even though some think the Leafs are awash in cap space, $20 million goes only so far in the new NHL.
The Leafs would have had a chance at a much brighter future had they not taken 20 of 24 points in their final 12 games of the season.
That left them 18th overall, the second-least desirable spot in the NHL standings, after their win coupled with the Atlanta Thrashers overtime loss vaulted the Leafs ahead of the Thrashers for ninth in the Eastern Conference.
After two listless losses in Montreal in late February effectively killed their slim playoff hopes, the Leafs were sitting with the seventh seed in the lottery and a chance to move as high as third by winning the lottery. Less than two months later, they go into tomorrow's draft lottery seeded 13th in a draft that drops off precipitously after the first half-dozen picks.
Of course they could still win the lottery, but the chances of that happening are about as good as Aki Berg becoming the first Norris Trophy winner in franchise history — 0.8 per cent.
In the end, the Maple Leafs lost games when they should have won them and won when they should have been losing.
Last night's win was the 26th of the season, which established a franchise record, but coach Pat Quinn acknowledged that their play away from home was the reason they are out of the playoffs. Taking only nine of a possible 32 points in games against the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres might have been a small factor as well.
"I don't think we competed hard enough on the road this year," Quinn said. "There were some games where we were in them and we let them go because we didn't know how to compete

I'll take Chara with the cap max.

Why Chara? He doesn't really fit in with Toronto's needs. Also, Toronto has around 20 M + to play around with this off-season and alot of holes to fill. With the cap going up as high as 49 M next year, the cap max is going up too possibly 8 - 9 M range ..

My plan without McCabe ..

Elias ( 7 M) - Sundin - Lindros ( 750 K)
Tucker - Antropov - O'Neill
Steen - Wellwood - Stajan
Kilger - Wilm - Ponikarovsky

Kaberle - Kubina ( 4 M)
Mitchell ( 3M) - White
Pilar - Colaiacovo / Kronwall

Turco ( 6 M)
Tellqvist / Aubin

I'm a habs fan so Chara would fit PERFECTLY with us .

Kubina and Mitchell salary will be higher, at least 500k to 750k each. Also, I don't think Elias want ot get out of New Jersey. With Brodeur, he's the soul of NJ and they will do whatever they can to keep him.
I hope Belfour will stay with Toronto.

Would absolutely crush me if he anounced his retirement!

Overall, I would say: IN YOUR DREAM BLARED! But a squad like this one, with chemistry, would be dominant.